Workload-aware load balancing to minimize scheduled downtime during maintenance of host or hypervisor of a virtualized computing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016139946-A1
Application number	US-201414543923-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Nov 18, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for computing an optimal plan for maximizing availability of the workload balancing of a virtual computing device, in the event of maintenance of the virtual computing device, is provided. The computer-implemented method comprises determining a workload placement plan that migrates a plurality of virtual machines of the virtual computing device to at least one location of a plurality of hypervisors. The computer-implemented method further comprises receiving input parameters for computing the workload placement plan for migrating the plurality of virtual machines. The computer-implemented method further comprises determining the workload placement plan that forms the basis for migrating the plurality of virtual machines, within the virtual computing device, for maximizing operating objectives of the virtual computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for computing an optimal plan for rebalancing workload of a virtual computing device, for maximizing availability of the workload, operating on the virtual computing device, in the event of maintenance of a plurality hypervisors, of the virtual computing device, the computer-implemented method comprising the steps of:
determining a workload placement plan that migrates a plurality of virtual machines of the virtual computing device to at least one location of a plurality of hypervisors during maintenance of the plurality hypervisors of the virtual computing device, based on workload structure and redundancy information of the plurality of virtual machines and business priority information of the workload structure, of the virtual computing device; receiving input parameters for computing the workload placement plan for migrating the plurality of virtual machines; determining the workload placement plan that forms basis for migrating the plurality of virtual machines, within the virtual computing device, for maximizing operating objectives of the virtual computing device; and determining resource overcommit thresholds for the operating objectives of the virtual computing device.

2 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving input parameters step, further including the step of:
receiving inputs of predicted parameters, for computing the workload placement plan, for migrating the plurality of virtual machines, wherein the predicted parameters predicts demand for computing resources of the plurality of virtual machines, within the virtual computing device.

3 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 , wherein the computation of the new operating locations is performed when the virtual computing device is operating in maintenance operating mode.

4 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the workload placement plan is based on a workload dependency priority structure for optimizing the optimal plan, for maximizing the workload balancing of a virtual computing device, during the maintenance of the plurality of hypervisors of the virtual computing device.

5 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the system resource thresholds of the workload placement plan, are based on hardware or software resource thresholds of the virtual computing device, and operating size of the virtual machines that meet performance requirements of the virtual computing device.

6 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 5 , wherein the workload placement plan specifies maximum resource overcommitted thresholds, during migration of the plurality of virtual machines to a plurality of hypervisors of the virtual computing device.

7 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein determination of the workload placement plan, for migration of the plurality of virtual machines, of the virtual computing device is based on a detection of redundant operational metrics of the plurality of virtual machines.

8 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the computation of the workload placement plan includes heterogeneous hardware for placement of the plurality of the virtual machines.

9 . A computer system for computing an optimal plan for rebalancing workload of a virtual computing device, for maximizing availability of the workload, operating on the virtual computing device, in the event of maintenance of a plurality hypervisors, of the virtual computing device, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions which are stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to determine a workload placement plan that migrates a plurality of virtual machines of the virtual computing device to at least one location of a plurality of hypervisors during maintenance of the plurality hypervisors of the virtual computing device, based on workload structure and redundancy information of the plurality of virtual machines and business priority information of the workload structure, of the virtual computing device; program instructions receive input parameters for computing the workload placement plan for migrating the plurality of virtual machines; program instructions to determine the workload placement plan that forms basis for migrating the plurality of virtual machines, within the virtual computing device, for maximizing operating objectives of the virtual computing device; and program instructions to determine resource overcommit thresholds for the operating objectives of the virtual computing device.

10 . The computer system of claim 8 , wherein program instructions to program instructions receive input parameters for computing the workload placement plan for migrating the plurality of virtual machines, further includes: program instructions to receive inputs of predicted parameters, for computing the workload placement plan, for migrating the plurality of virtual machines, wherein the predicted parameters predicts demand for computing resources of the plurality of virtual machines, within the virtual computing device.

11 . The computer system according to claim 9 , wherein the computation of the new operating locations is performed when the virtual computing device is operating in maintenance operating mode.

12 . The computer system according to claim 8 , wherein the workload placement plan is based on a workload dependency priority structure for optimizing the optimal plan, for maximizing the workload balancing of a virtual computing device, during the maintenance of the plurality of hypervisors of the virtual computing device.

13 . The computer system according to claim 8 , wherein the system resource thresholds of the workload placement plan, are based on hardware or software resource thresholds of the virtual computing device, and operating size of the virtual machines that meet performance requirements of the virtual computing device.

14 . The computer system according to claim 12 , wherein the workload placement plan specifies maximum resource overcommitted thresholds, during migration of the plurality of virtual machines to a plurality of hypervisors of the virtual computing device.

15 . The computer system according to claim 8 , wherein determination of the workload placement plan, for migration of the plurality of virtual machines, of the virtual computing device is based on a detection of redundant operational metrics of the plurality of virtual machines.

16 . The computer program product for computing an optimal plan for rebalancing workload of a virtual computing device, for maximizing availability of the workload, operating on the virtual computing device, in the event of maintenance of a plurality hypervisors, of the virtual computing device, of the virtual computing device, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to determine a workload placement plan that migrates a plurality of virtual machines of the virtual computing device to at least one location of a plurality of hypervisors during maintenance of the plurality hype

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Gardner Darryl E
• Gupta Manish
• Palaniswamy Vasanthakumari Manoj

Classifications

• G06F9/5088

  involving task migration · CPC title

• G06F9/5077

  Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455) · CPC title

• G06F2009/4557

  Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing · CPC title

• G06F9/45558 Primary

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title